DISTURBANCES OF IRON METABOLISM AND NEUROLOGICAL COMPLICATIONS IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52340/jecm.2026.01.17Keywords:
diabetes, iron, MRI, QSM, basal gangliaAbstract
Introduction: Iron accumulation in the brain has been linked to diabetes mellitus, but its impact on subcortical structures involved in motor and cognitive functions is not fully understood. Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) enables noninvasive assessment of brain iron. This systematic review and meta-analysis compared QSM-measured magnetic susceptibility in subcortical nuclei of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and controls.
Methods: We performed a systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science per PRISMA guidelines to identify studies reporting QSM values in deep gray matter (DGM) regions in T2DM patients and controls.
Results: Six studies (192 T2DM patients, 245 controls) were included. Meta-analysis showed significantly increased iron deposition in subcortical nuclei of T2DM patients versus controls.
Discussion: QSM demonstrated elevated iron in DGM/subcortical nuclei of T2DM patients, notably in motor- and cognition-related nuclei (putamen, dentate nucleus, caudate, red nucleus). QSM could be a biomarker for iron accumulation in T2DM, though further studies are needed to confirm these results.
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